GODOLPHIN
For the third year running and for the fifth time overall, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum's Godolphin LLC was named America's outstanding owner at Thursday evening's Eclipse Awards ceremonies. And, having been honored for the first time as outstanding breeder in 2021, the operation doubled up with another championship trophy.

Overall, Godolphin campaigned the winners of 20 graded stakes in North America in 2022 and for the second year in a row, registered multiple winners at the Breeders' Cup, with champion Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Mile, Eclipse finalists Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Cody's Wish (Curlin) in the Turf and Dirt Mile, respectively, and Mischief Magic (Ire) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}) in the Juvenile Turf Sprint. Godolphin's other runners to strike at the top level included Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), Santin (Medaglia d'Oro), Matareya (Pioneerof the Nile), Eclipse finalist Nation's Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), Mysterious Night (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Proxy (Tapit).

Horses bred by Godolphin struck at 17% in 2022 and their earnings of $18.6 million was nearly $1 million superior to second-placed Calumet Farm, who products made more than four times the starts as Godolphin. Horses bred by Stonestreet earned just over $13 million, the only other operation with eight-figure purses.

–Alan Carasso

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“The plan is for Letruska to be shipped to Hill n' Dale Farm next month or early March where she will visit Curlin,” the mare's former trainer Fausto Gutierrez said. “I am super happy with this choice. I have always been a big fan of Curlin as a runner, and now of course, as a stallion.”

Now seven years old, the 2021 Eclipse Award Champion Older Dirt Female retired last year with 19 wins in 28 starts and earnings of $3,053,529. The champion mare was two-time winner of the GI Apple Blossom H. at Oaklawn Park, and she also recorded Grade I victories in the Ogden Phipps S. at Belmont Park, the Personal Ensign S. at Saratoga, and the Juddmonte Spinster S. at Keeneland.

With an advertised stud fee of $225,000, Curlin has established himself as one of the most important stallions of this generation, including siring Grade I winners like Malathaat, Clairiere, Nest, Elite Power, and Cody's Wish, that are all finalists for this year's Eclipse Awards to be held Jan. 26 in Palm Beach, Fla.

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Winners in 17 horse and human categories will be announced on FanDuel TV, and other outlets, during the 52nd annual Eclipse Awards, presented by John Deere, Keeneland, and The Jockey Club,  on Thursday, Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The evening will culminate with the announcement of the 2022 Horse of the Year.

Of the 258 eligible voters represented by the NTRA, consisting of member racetrack racing officials and Equibase field personnel, the NTWAB, and Daily Racing Form, 246 (95.3%) took part in the voting. Finalists were determined in each category by voters' top three selections, using a 10-5-1 point basis. Eclipse Award winners are determined solely by first-place votes.

The 2022 Eclipse Awards Finalists, with the exception of Horse of the Year, (in alphabetical order) are:

Two-Year-Old Male: Cave Rock (Arrogate), Forte (Violence), Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn})

Two-Year-Old Filly: Leave No Trace (Outwork), Meditate (Ire) (No Nay Never), Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief)

Three-Year-Old Male: Epicenter (Not This Time), Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Taiba (Gun Runner)

Three-Year-Old Filly: Nest (Curlin), Secret Oath (Arrogate), Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire})

Older Dirt Male: Flightline (Tapit), Life Is Good (Into Mischief), Olympiad (Speightstown)

Older Dirt Female: Clairiere (Curlin), Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper), Malathaat (Curlin)

Male Sprinter: Cody's Wish (Curlin), Elite Power (Curlin), Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music)

Female Sprinter: Caravel (Mizzen Mast), Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper)

Male Turf Horse: Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})

Female Turf Horse: In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Regal Glory (Animal Kingdom), War Like Goddess (English Channel)

Steeplechase Horse: Down Royal (Alphabet Soup), Hewick (Ire) (Virtual {GB}), Snap Decision (Hard Spun)

Owner: Peter Brant, Godolphin LLC, Klaravich Stables Inc.

Breeder: Godolphin LLC, Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC, Summer Wind Equine LLC

Trainer: Steve Asmussen, Chad Brown, Todd Pletcher

Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr., Flavien Prat, Joel Rosario

Apprentice Jockey: Jeiron Barbosa, Vicente Del-Cid, Jose Antonio Gomez

In addition to honoring the 17 winners in the horse and human categories, David Harrison will receive the Eclipse Award as the 2022 Horseplayer of the Year. Members of the media will be honored for outstanding coverage in six categories.

Eclipse Awards voting is conducted by the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB), the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), and Daily Racing Form. The Eclipse Awards ceremony is produced by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association.

The Eclipse Awards are named after the great 18th-century racehorse and foundation sire, Eclipse, who began racing at age five and was undefeated in 18 starts, including eight walkovers. Eclipse sired the winners of 344 races, including three Epsom Derbies.

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The Thoroughbred Daily News Staff that are members of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB) submitted their selections this week and here is a rundown of the results from some of the categories, along with their 'strongest vote.'

Bill
Horse of the Year: Flightline
3-Year-Old Male: Taiba
3-Year-Old Filly: Nest
2-Year-Old Male: Forte
Male Sprinter: Elite Power
Female Turf Horse: Regal Glory
Older Dirt Female: Malathaat
Owner: Godolphin
Breeder: Godolphin
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Strongest Vote: Epicenter is a deserving champ, but with Taiba having three Grade I wins to Epicenter's one, I went for Taiba in the 3-year-old male division.

Alan
Horse of the Year: Flightline
3-Year-Old Male: Epicenter
3-Year-Old Filly: Nest
2-Year-Old Male: Forte
Male Sprinter: Jackie's Warrior
Female Turf Horse: Regal Glory
Older Dirt Female: Malathaat
Owner: Godolphin
Breeder: Godolphin
Trainer: Chad Brown
Strongest Vote: Though she stubbed her toe against the boys and even with a head-to-head defeat to her commonly owned stablemate In Italian, Regal Glory gets the slight nod for three very strong top-level scores in 2022.

Christina
Horse of the Year: Flightline
3-Year-Old Male: Epicenter
3-Year-Old Filly: Nest
2-Year-Old Male: Forte
Male Sprinter: Elite Power
Female Turf Horse: In Italian
Older Dirt Female: Malathaat
Owner: Godolphin
Breeder: Godolphin
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Strongest Vote: Looking at this year's Eclipse voting, TAP holds a strong hand with both fillies and colts, horses of varying ages and across several divisions. In my opinion, he is dominance personified.

Sara
Horse of the Year: Flightline
3-Year-Old Male: Epicenter
3-Year-Old Filly: Nest
2-Year-Old Male: Forte
Male Sprinter: Jackie's Warrior
Female Turf Horse: Regal Glory
Older Dirt Female: Malathaat
Owner: Godolphin
Breeder: Godolphin
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Strongest Vote: Malathaat is my top pick this year. She not only continued the momentum from her season as a champion 3-year-old, but built upon that success with an ultra-impressive blend of tenacity and heart, topped by a breathtaking performance in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff.

J.N.
Horse of the Year: Flightline
3-Year-Old Male: Modern Games (Ire)
3-Year-Old Filly: Nest
2-Year-Old Male: Forte
Male Sprinter: Cody's Wish
Female Turf Horse: Regal Glory
Older Dirt Female: Malathaat
Owner: Hronis Racing, Siena Farm, Summer Wind Equine, West Point Thoroughbreds
Breeder: Summer Wind Equine
Trainer: John Sadler
Strongest Vote: It was Flightline and Co.'s year, but lest we forget that Modern Games won a pair of Grade Is in North America against older (which included the Breeders' Cup Mile), which tells me this turf horse earned the bob in the hotly contested 3-year-old male division.

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